1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to hinge fittings for pivoting and tiltable doors, windows or the like in which the opening frame partially overlaps the fixed frame, consisting of a corner bearing and a casement stay fixed in rabbets and each comprising an auxiliary stay arm, a connecting rod, and a second stay arm, all hinged at one of their ends, and by means of a support, on to the bottom rail or top rail of the fixed frame, the opposite ends of the auxiliary stay arm and the second stay arm cooperating, either directly or by means of a principal stay, with the bottom rail and top rail respectively of the opening frame, the other end of the connecting rod being connected by means of a hinge to the said second stay arm.
2. Discussion of Background and Relevant Information
Hinge fittings corresponding to the above description are already known.
Those hinge fittings are used more particularly in the sphere of doors, windows or the like of the pivoting and tiltable type, comprising an opening frame provided on its periphery with a covering lip which in the closed position bears against the inner face of the fixed frame. This special feature of the opening frame, together with the fact that these hinge fittings are disposed in rabbets, means that at the start of the opening operation the opening frame has to be displaced beyond the fixed frame so that the covering lip does not hinder the functioning of the door, window or the like.
To this end, these hinge fittings comprise a corner bearing and a casement stay each provided with an auxiliary stay arm connected, on the one hand, to the bottom rail and the top rail, respectively, of the fixed frame, and, on the other hand, respectively, to the bottom rail of the opening frame and to a principal stay arm cooperating with the top rail of the opening frame.
The hinge fittings moreover comprise a second stay arm, slidably mounted at one of its ends on the bottom rail or top rail of the fixed frame, its other end being connected by means of a hinge to the bottom rail of the fixed frame or to the principal stay arm.
Finally, a connecting rod hinged at one of its ends on to the second stay arm, its other end being pivotally fixed on the bottom rail or top rail of the fixed frame, completes this corner bearing and this casement stay constituting the hinge fittings.
It will be noted that the various elements constituting the corner bearing and the casement stay are mounted on the bottom rail or the top rail of the fixed frame by means of a support in the form of an elongated metal plate or the like, comprising, in particular, a carriage in which one of the ends of the second stay arm is slidably mounted.
It would appear that doors, windows or the like provided with hinge fittings of this kind pose a number of problems, both with regard to sealing and with regard to the reliability of their operation.
It will be noted that the opening frame can only be pressed against the fixed frame by means of a locking system, such as a casement bolt or espagnolette lock, provided on the door or window. As this locking system is necessarily integrated into the front stile of the opening frame, it is only able to communicate pressure from the opening frame to the fixed frame at this front portion of the door or window.
Consequently, the force with which the opening frame bears against the fixed frame in order to guarantee good sealing depends only on the following parameters: manufacturing to particularly close tolerances of the various elements constituting the corner bearing and the casement stay, i.e. the auxiliary stay arm, the second stay arm and the connecting rod, and fitting and mounting the elements without play on the opening frame and the fixed frame.
However, strict compliance with these parameters leads to production costs that are not justified by the anticipated results.
It will be noted that the solution to the sealing problem and to the problems relating to the operation of a door or window provided with hinge fittings disposed in rabbets consists initially in perfecting the positioning of the opening frame in relation to the fixed frame by way of appropriate adjustment means not found in conventional hinge fittings. Moreover, there is good reason to eliminate the play that exists between the various components constituting the corner bearing and the casement stay in order to guarantee improved compression of the rear stile of the opening frame against the fixed frame.
A number of solutions have in fact been proposed, but they only partially resolve these problems.
In particular, it has been envisaged to provide the principal stay arm of the casement stay with a curved rear end in the form of a square, which, in the inwardly open position, covers the top corner of the opening frame. An opening is provided in the vertical side of this curved end, the opening being engaged by the projecting end of an operating rod actuated by the locking mechanism and, more particularly, by a casement bolt or espagnolette lock.
By virtue of this connection between the opening frame and the principal stay, situated in the immediate vicinity of the rear stile of the said opening frame, it is possible not only to fix the opening frame in the inwardly open position, but also to limit the play that exists between the opening frame and the principal stay. The most common solution, consisting of a catch fixed to the principal stay and cooperating with a locking member, such as a roller integral with an operating rod controlled by means of a casement bolt or espagnolette lock and housed in the upper edge of the opening frame, has the disadvantage that it creates a connection that is too far away from the rear stile of the door or window. Consequently, slight play in this connection will cause the opening frame to lock against the fixed frame at the rear stile, resulting in poor sealing.
It will be noted firstly that this solution does not actually solve the problem of the play that exists in the various mechanical connections between the elements constituting the corner bearing and the casement stay. Moreover, this solution does have other disadvantages which, although relating to different areas, still reduce the efficiency of these hinge fittings for pivoting and tiltable wings.
The curved rear end of the principal stay and its cooperation with the projecting end of an operating rod, in fact, result in additional space being occupied in the rabbets of the opening frame and the fixed frame.
Therefore, it is necessary to slot substantially the rear stile of either the said opening frame or the fixed frame.
In practice, it is advisable to avoid slots of this kind, as they not only reduce the resistance of the structure forming the door or window, but, moreover, do not correspond to standard manufacture, resulting in the necessity for the special manufacture of small-scale batches and additional stock control.